The Importance of Peacemaking

WNC 4 Peace announces a contest in which students across Buncombe county can enter via their schools creative works that promote the importance of peacemaking.

There will be four “Winners” for Best Poem, Best Video, Best Artwork, and Best Essay on Peace. All students will be honored on our website with their contribution.The school each winning student attends will receive $100.

The awards have been named in honor of recently deceased local peace heroes:

Isaac Coleman, founder of Read to Succeed and former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s;

Judith Hallock, co-founder of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance and leader of previous local International Days of Peace;

Tony Bing, former leader of the Palestinian/Jewish Egalitarian Team (formerly called Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East).

Ron Harayda, former chairman of Veterans of Peace Chapter 099 and host of their weekly WPVM radio program for years.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, August 15, 2016. All entries should be sent to WNC 4 Peace, wnc4peace@gmail.com.

In the case of videos, send an email to the address above and give the name of the video, which has been uploaded to YouTube by the entrant. Artwork should be saved as a PDF attachment and sent in an email to WNC 4 Peace. All students from elementary through high school are eligible to participate. Be sure all entries include entrant’s name, school, grade level, and contact information.

Two or three local people will be selected and asked to judge for each category. Volunteers are welcome to step forward to be a judge for the four awards. Winners will be announced in September for International Day of Peace. Details about the date and place to honor all entrants and winners will be announced at a later date.

Cut off date for all entries is August 15, 2016. For more information, email WNC 4 Peace, wnc4peace@gmail.com, or call (828) 378-0125.